Heloise: Love for litter tubs

Dear readers: So many of you wrote in about reusing cat-litter tubs. Here are a few more of the amazing things you do with them:

■ Diane in New Jersey wrote: “Use them to store sand/salt for icy driveways and walkways. They are much easier to carry than the awkward bags that sand and salt come in.”

■ Eileen, via email, wrote: “We get our cat litter at a pet and feed store here in California that sells by the pound. We take in our own containers to refill, and it costs a fraction of buying the already-filled tubs.”

■ Victoria in Texas wrote: “I use old cat-litter containers as a slow-watering mechanism for trees. Simply use a nail to put five or six holes in the bottom, then fill them with water and place them around the root systems of trees.”

■ Edie in Illinois wrote: “We use them in our greenhouse as supports for shelving. We also use them outdoors as support for our potting-bench shelving.”

Thank you for all the letters and great hints, and I really love the one about buying cat litter at a feed store! — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I often forget to charge my cellphone, and it will lose power in the middle of my day. I had an extra cellphone charger at home. I brought it to work and leave it in my desk. That way, if my phone is dying, I can charge it at work and get through the day. — Sandy in Utah

Dear Heloise: In response to the tip sent in about night lights at motels/hotels: Another idea for a night light would be a “glow stick” that children usually have during Halloween. Glow sticks come in packets, are very inexpensive, and the light from them lasts for many hours. They have a variety of colors, so you could choose a colored one for a “soft” light, or a clear or yellow one for a brighter light. They can be hung by the string that is included, or just laid on a countertop. They also are excellent to have on hand for power outages. They are safer than candles. — Becky in Louisiana

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 210-HELOISE or email it to heloise@heloise.com.